Finding a true Joel Embiid stand-in has been a losing game for the Philadelphia 76ers for years, and maybe that’s because the answer was never going to be one player. In the Sixers’ 109-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Adem Bona and Jabari Walker offered a glimpse of a different approach: not a single replacement, but a two-man solution built around size, energy, and physicality.
That matters because Embiid is not just any big man. His career averages - 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game - make clear why Philadelphia has struggled to find someone who can simply step into his role.
Trying to replace that kind of production with one body has been a dead end. The better path may be to split the job in two.
The Sixers don’t necessarily need another scorer to mimic Embiid’s points. Tyrese Maxey has already pushed himself into MVP conversations with 29.6 points per game, while LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe are all helping carry the offense. What Philadelphia needs in those Embiid-less stretches is someone who can handle the physical side of the game and keep the floor from tilting against them.
That’s where Bona and Walker come in. Neither is likely to overwhelm opponents offensively, but both bring hustle, size, and defensive stability.
As a rotation answer, the pairing makes more sense than forcing one player into a role too large to fill. When Edgecombe, Brown, or even LeBron goes to the bench, Bona and Walker can take on some of the dirty work that otherwise falls on Maxey.
Against Charlotte, the two shared the floor in brief stretches, but even that limited look was enough to show why Nick Nurse might want to keep exploring it. Walker finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds, showing he can clean the glass while scoring efficiently around the rim. Bona’s line - 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block - pointed to the defensive edge he brings.
The bigger point is simple: Philadelphia doesn’t need Embiid’s exact scoring in those minutes. It needs steadiness, physical presence, and enough defensive backbone to let the rest of the roster keep rolling. Bona and Walker may not be the obvious answer, but together they might be the one that fits.
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Joel Embiid's Status Suddenly Looms Over Sixers Vs Bulls
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The injury report also leaves the Sixers a little thinner elsewhere, with Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti ruled out. For a team trying to keep its rotation steady while protecting Embiids health, the status report adds another layer of uncertainty heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Wade Is Helping The Sixers But One Issue Still Looms
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The bigger question is whether Philadelphia can get more aggression from him as a scorer. The Sixers pushed Wade to shoot more during training camp, but he has stayed reluctant to let it fly, leaving his points and field-goal attempts low for the amount of run he is getting. If that hesitation sticks, it could cap how much offensive upside the team can squeeze from a player who otherwise has been doing plenty of the little things right. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Are Leading The East With One Scary Flaw Still Lingering
Through seven games, the 76ers have done just about everything a contender is supposed to do, even while carrying one glaring offensive concern. Philadelphia is 6-1 and sitting atop the Eastern Conference, and the reason is simple enough: the defense has been excellent, ranking fourth in the league, and it has given the Sixers a chance to survive tight finishes while the offense sorts itself out.
The uneasy part is what happens when the shots are supposed to be the easy ones. Philadelphia has the fifth-worst shooting percentage on wide-open 3-point attempts at 29.9 percent, and several key players are still below league average from deep. The good news for the Sixers is that this kind of number usually moves, and if the shooting starts to normalize, a team already winning close games with late threes from VJ Edgecombe could look even more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]